Parent’s name

Harrell surname meaning

An English variant of Harold and an Irish anglicization of Ó hEarghail, with older Norman nickname explanations also recorded.

Confidence: Disputed
US frequency: Rank 685 · 48,672 people
Common variants: Harrel, Hurrell, Horrell, Harrell

Confidence: Disputed. More than one origin is plausible, or sources disagree. We show the conflict rather than pick a cute answer.

The short story

Harrell has more than one documented history. DAFN treats it as an English variant of Harold and an Irish anglicization of Ó hEarghail, related to the personal name Fearghal. English surname traditions also connect similar spellings such as Hurrell and Horrell with a Norman-French hair or bristling nickname. These routes should not be collapsed into one family story. The catalog uses parent’s name for the Harold and Ó hEarghail leads, but disputed confidence records the independent nickname tradition. Variant spellings arose as English clerks recorded Gaelic names.

Also seen as: Harrel, Hurrell, Horrell, Harrell

Sources used

Ancestry, Dictionary of American Family Names entry 'Harrell' (Harold and Ó hEarghail routes)
Surnames of the United Kingdom, 'Harrell' (Hurrell/Horrell nickname comparison)
Names2020_LastNames_RaceHispanic_Top1000.xlsx (2020 Census)